"The One Beloved: Ch01 Blue Moon Changes" by Emma-Jane C. Smith

With that Dalon tracked off into the woods with only his bow and quiver for company. Shivering at the night chill, Ameile lay down in her blankets and looked up at the night sky trying to calm herself. The moon shone down in its luminous glory, its perfect circular shape reminding her of something she could not figure out as she fell innocently to sleep.

Now alone in the wilds of the wood, Dalon finally could pull down his mask of deadened emotions. Sweat oozed from every pore as he reconciled himself to the fact that tonight he would change. He had done so before during the full moons but this time it was different. This time it was, a blue moon, the moon rose in the sky as full twice within the same month. Suddenly Dalon’s hands started to shake. His body became taut, every muscle tensing. Then the change began. Slowly.

After the change had completed its painful transition, up in the vastness of the sky, another change began to happen. Another, different, second moon slowly came into view, standing next to its near twin, in the heavens. It stayed there until the morning light hid it from view.

Waking, Ameile stretched and pulled herself up from the leaf littered ground. She thought it odd that she had slept so peacefully. The night had terrified her, especially since Dalon had left her to camp alone. Strange things happened to people in the wood. Suddenly there was rustling in the bushes. Ameile gave a start.


        “Who’s there?” she called out, her voice trembling slightly.


        “It’s me, Dalon.” he came out from behind a tree, a heavy cloak obscuring his features. He was carrying his bow and quiver with him but other than that, Ameile would not have known it was him.


        “Why are you wearing that cloak?”


        “Because I am, don’t ask questions, we must leave as soon as we can.” Ameile did not respond, chastened at his harsh tone. They quickly packed up their small collection of supplies and were on their way. It would be no more than a day’s travel to their destination, Adetwa, meaning “beloved”.

Adetwa was an ancient place where only blessed pilgrims were said to be able to find. Ameile travelled there to join the priesthood but Dalon’s reason for travelling was as her guide. Despite Dalon’s refusal of becoming a pilgrim, he had been there before. When they had first met he had told her he knew where it was, a small part of a stone removed from the great fortress had proved this to her.

They two strange travelling companions dredged on, the rain falling down on their heads as if to drown them the closer they got to their destination. Adetwa was an ancient temple, carved out of a special blue-green rock into a giant statue. Not many knew what the statue was for it was not like any creature anyone had seen before but it was believed to be over a hundred feet tall. The blue-green rock was indigenous to only to one place, Adetwa, and was thought to have had many magical qualities. Needless to say it was highly sought after.

By the time the sun was beginning to set, Ameile and Dalon had reached Adetwa. As the great statue came into view, Ameile ran towards it. It took her breath away. Standing over a thousand spans, the statue stood distinctively carved out of a mountain. A waterfall trickled from the statues right hand to pool around the base of the structure as a kind of a moat.


        “We did it!” Ameile exclaimed, overtaken with excitement. From beneath the hood of his cloak, Dalon stared up at it. His heart was thumping wildly. He had seen that creature before.

The priests of the place were the pilgrims of the past who made the trek to Adetwa. As the travellers came closer to Adetwa, some of the priests came out and walked across the moat on a small wooden bridge to greet them.


        “Welcome to Adetwa travellers. I am Whatiuk, I was the First to travel.” said one of the priests in greeting.


        “And what names do you go by?”


        “I am Ameile,” she replied as was tradition, “I have come as a pilgrim to join. Have you news of the one to come?”


        “No child, we have not though you may wait here with us. Be welcome.” Ameile walked forward and bowed to the First Traveller. He placed a hand upon her head and then told her to rise. “You are the thousandth to travel child. As it is prophesied, only a thousand pilgrims shall end their journey here before the Beloved comes.”

The priest looked at Dalon. “You are not a pilgrim. What has caused you to seek out this place?”


        “I am no pilgrim as you say, I am Ameile’s guide, nothing more.” Dalon replied.


        “But you are here and none other than pilgrims have found this place. How did you, a guide, come to know this place?”


        “I have been here before, many years ago.”


        “You are one who has come and left? I have only known of one such person accomplishing that. Are you Dalon?”


        “I am.”


        “Then welcome Dalon who’s coming will confirm the prophecy. Please enter, and you will be bathed, fed and sheltered.” The priest motioned for them to enter, mentioning nothing about the cloak Dalon wore to hide himself from them.

As they entered the statue from the base, a priest and priestess stood in wait, holding garments and towels out for them.


        “Please, I will show you where to bathe before you eat.” the priestess told them and lead them both to small caverns. They were naturally carved out of the rock and served as individual bathing rooms. Each was sided by walls of the blue-green rock with a curtain covering each entrance for privacy.

In no time at all, Ameile was relaxing in a hot steaming bath of her own. She could hear faint sounds of splashing coming from the cavern close by where Dalon was bathing. She wondered if he was bathing with his cloak still on since he had taken a recent likening to it. She chuckled to herself and scrubbed her travel weary body clean. After her bath, Ameile towelled herself dry and put on the clothes she had been given. It was a warm fabric much like cotton, and was made not into a dress but loose fitting pants and shirt. Its colour was green to match her eyes.

Ameile met Dalon as he came out from his cavern. She could not tell if he was wearing the same type of clothes as she because he was wearing his cloak again. She made a point of seeing if it were wet. It wasn’t but Ameile could not keep the grin from her face at the thought of it. Everything seemed so amusing now that she had arrived at Adetwa. Ameile had always longed to find out if the tales were true, and if she too, could become one of them who waited for the one prophesied. And to think she was the last there would be before the Beloved came. She made a mental note to ask the First priest where the library was so that she could read the full prophesy. The myths said that the prophecy was held in the Book of Adetwa.

        “Come, eat. All who enter here are welcome to feast upon this bounty.” intoned one priest as they found the dining hall. They sat at the end of one of the tables and when everyone was seated, the first priest gave his blessing and they ate. As it neared the end of the meal, Ameile was frustrated at Dalon. He still wore his heavy cloak and refused to remove it no matter how many times she asked him to.

When the meal had finished she had resigned herself to not talking to him. Weary, they soon retired to their new bedchambers. They were both situated in rooms on the very top floor of the building inside the statue. Tiny slits of windows looked out to a magnificent view that ended at the forest tree line. She noticed something just above the tree line, something in the sky. She thought for a moment that it was two moons circling the heaven together but she quickly dismissed the idea. Ameile curled up on her bed and relaxed, she soon fell asleep.

In the night she woke with a start, someone was groaning loudly in their sleep. Quickly she pulled her blanket over her shoulders and went to see what was the matter. The noise came from Dalon’s room, and Ameile feared that a nightmare had ensnared him. She hesitated only a moment before pulling open the door. Ameile could hardly see in the dark, his room held no windows from which moonlight could filter through. She quietly crept over to his bed to where he lay tossing beneath the sheets. Suddenly the groaning and movement stopped.


        “What are you doing here?” Dalon asked huskily, having woken.


        “You were having a nightmare.” she replied, slightly embarrassed. Dalon did not say anything in response so Ameile turned and left. She paused for a moment beside the door and thought she had seen two large blue eyes staring back at her, glowing slightly. She wondered, as she hopped back into her own bed, if the blue-green magic rock about her was playing tricks on her mind.

The morning did nothing to promise a great day. Dalon rose, his head felt a little funny but his body felt energised. He quickly changed but before he had a chance to put his cloak back on, someone burst through the door. It was Ameile.

Ameile stopped still, her eyes wider than saucers when she caught sight of him.


        “What’s happened to you?” she asked when she finally found her breath.


        “My damned curse that’s what!” he growled, “I should never have taken you here! I’m a fool for thinking it would not catch up with me!”


        “You- you look like that statue.”


        “Don’t you think I know that? When the priests here find out, I’ll never be free. They’ll think I’m their Beloved who was prophesied to come. Please, do not say anything to them.” he added, almost pleadingly.


        “But what if you are?” she asked. He didn’t reply.

Ameile watched him look despairingly around the room. He stood no taller than Ameile remembered but his eyes were changed, similar to a cat's and glowed lightly. His ears tapered off to a point. Even his dusty-blond hair had grown longer, but the thing that captured her attention the most were his wings. They extended out from his back and were flared vibrantly with the colours blue and green. They looked so delicate because she could see through them like coloured glass.


        “You look beautiful you know.” Ameile told him quietly. He jerked out of his thoughts.


        “Thankyou.” he answered quietly, not knowing what else to say. Slowly he picked up his cloak and put it around his shoulders. Dalon was still not taking any chances that the priests might find out.


        “Why did you come in here?” he asked, slightly puzzled. Ameile’s face turned slightly red.


        “I came to tell you that the First priest, Whatiuk, wanted to give us a tour. They said last time you were here you did not stay long enough to see it all.”


        “Then we must not keep him waiting.” Subdued they both left the room together.